29th Tour de France 1935

“Black Squadron” Ends French Domination

Five years into the “National Team” format of the Tour de France, the Belgian national team (called the Black Squadron because of the predominance of black in their uniform jersey) ended the French dominance of the race. Belgian Romain Maes won the first stage and wore the Maillot Jaune (race leader's Yellow Jersey) from start to finish, but his Tour victory did not come without many strong challenges along the way.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Tour of 1935 marked the innovation of the first “Flame Rouge” (a red kite to mark the last kilometer of the stage). This innovation has survived through the years and has been a feature that exists throughout bicycle racing today.

Romain Maes, a young, “all-round” Belgian cyclist, surprised everyone with a daring solo escape to win stage 1 in Lille. Helped by a closed railroad crossing that stopped the peloton, Maes gained enough time to take the first Maillot Jaune of 1935 “This Maillot Jaune ,” an excited Romain Maes proclaimed after the stage, “on Romain's word, I will wear it until Paris!”

Stage 7 from Aix-les-Bains to Grenoble featured the first major climbs of the Tour. Four climbs were scheduled, Col de Porte, Col de Lautaret, Col du Telegraphe, and Col du Galibier. Defending champion Antonin Magne, determined to take the race lead in the Alps, attacked early in stage 7. Disaster struck for an aggressive Magneon the descent of the Col du Telegraphe, when he crashed heavily after being hit by a car. Gallantly he remounted and tried to continue, but the injuries were too severe. He abandoned shortly after the crash.

Two stages later the Tour left the Alps and Maes' next challenger stepped forward. Italian Francesco Camuso climbed his way into second place in the General Classification and presented the next danger to Maes' race lead.

When the steep climbs of the Pyrenees Mountains began, Camuso was poised to take command of the race. Eerily similar to Magne on stage 7, Camuso was hit by a car and forced to abandon the race. Romain Maes' race lead again survived another strong challenge.

With the top challengers gone due to misfortune the powerful “Black Squadron” escorted Maes on the final stage from Caen to Paris. Maes excelled on the final day, riding into the Parc des Princes Velodrome on a solo breakaway to win the stage and solidify his overall victory. Jubilantly Maes rode his victory lap around the Velodrome. He had promised to wear the Maillot Jaune all the way to Paris and “Good old Romain” delivered on his promise.

SPECIAL NOTE: In addition to the crash filled race, several tragedies struck the Tour in 1935:

• Spanish climber Francesco Cepeda fell heavily on the descent of the Galibier and was taken to the hospital, where his died several days later. Cepeda became the first TdF rider to die of injuries during the race.

• The Tour also lost a grand champion under bizarre circumstances. Emotional Frenchman Henri Pelissier, champion in 1923, was shot to death during a lovers quarrel at his home outside Paris.

TdF 1934

TdF 1936

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